Eastern Conservation - Staff Directory

Elizabeth Maclin, VP Eastern Conservation
1300 North 17th Street, #500
Arlington, VA 22209-3801
(703) 284-9437

Elizabeth Maclin leads TU’s eastern conservation efforts, working from Georgia to Maine to protect, reconnect, and restore habitat for native and wild trout and Atlantic salmon.  Prior to joining TU, she spent eight years at American Rivers developing and implementing the organization’s dam removal and river restoration programs.  Elizabeth received a B.A. in biology from Colby College in 1993 and an M.B.A. and M.S. in natural resource policy from the University of Michigan in 1998.  She grew up in northern Virginia, and spent as much time as possible hiking, fishing, and skiing near her grandparents’ farm in western Massachusetts.

Gary Berti joined TU in 2006 to work on eastern brook trout restoration and conservation spending 18 months coordinating TU’s involvement in the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. Now he is leading TU’s efforts on the Potomac Headwaters Home River Initiative. Gary has been involved in natural resource issues for nearly 20 years through profession and volunteer efforts.  His work has taken him through grassroots organizational development, conservation partnerships and education, Acid Mine Drainage mitigation, rural and decentralized wastewater design, natural stream design, flood preparedness and low impact flood restoration.  Previous careers include utility planner, financial services, and mountain biking tour leader and shop keeper.  His passion for and protection of mountain streams has been prevalent in all his work.  When his duties at TU allow, Gary enjoys fishing in his local streams for brookies, mountain biking, canoeing, and woodworking.  But when the weather turns cold and snowy, you will find him in the backcountry skiing.  He is a member of the National Ski Patrol and Whitegrass Ski Touring Center’s Nordic Patrol.

Rebecca ("Becky") Dunlap is the Project Manager for the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative.  Becky’s work with Trout Unlimited began as an intern with TU’s Kettle Creek Home Rivers Initiative.   Armed with the experiences gained through this program, she went on to receive her B.S. and M.S. in biology with a focus on aquatic ecology.  Before coming back to TU she served as the Water Resources Coordinator for the ClearWater Conservancy located in the heart of Pennsylvania.  Becky resides in the beautiful Appalachians, enjoys all things outdoors, and has even been known to tie a fly or two.

Nat Gillespie is the director of the Eastern Lands Protection Program, where he works to develop partnerships with land trusts and TU chapters and programs to help protect lands that benefit trout habitat and water quality, and to restore the ecological integrity of streams and watersheds on protected lands.  He is focused on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, western North Carolina, and New York state.  Nat also is a fisheries scientist who helped developed the Conservation Success Index (CSI) and TU's strategies to prepare native trout and salmon for the impacts of climate change. Nat received his MS at the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and his undergraduate degree from Williams College.  He worked in the past as Trout Unlimited's Catskills Coordinator for 3 years, and lives with his wife Elaine in Washington, DC. 

Rachel Kester is the Project Coordinator for the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative. Rachel first became interested in abandoned mine drainage cleanup as an intern at the Clearfield County Conservation District, where she later served as the Watershed Specialist before accepting her current position at Trout Unlimited. Living and working in Clearfield County, one of the worst AMD impacted counties in the West Branch Susquehanna Subbasin, has left her with a passion for restoring impaired watersheds. In her free time, Rachel enjoys creating artwork, crocheting, running and exploring the great outdoors with her husband and two dogs.

Jeff Reardon joined TU in 1999 after 10 years of teaching.  He is a 1989 graduate of Williams College and a former Maine Council TU chair.  Jeff and his wife Dee Dee live in Windsor, Maine.  He is frequently observed with a fly rod or shotgun chasing trout, stripers, or ducks.

Jim MacCartney assists TU chapters, councils, and partners nationwide on a variety of river restoration projects including channel restoration, culvert remediation, bank stabilization, habitat enhancement, dam removal, and watershed assessment. Before joining TU, Jim worked for the NH Department of Environmental Services where he administered the NH Rivers Program, and led development of the State's instream flow policy. Jim is also President of the River Management Society, and earned his M.S. in Resource Management and Administration from Antioch University New England. He is an avid hiker, telemark skier, whitewater rafter, and enthusiastic fly fisherman.

Amy Wolfe came on board with TU in 1999 to manage the Kettle Creek Home Rivers Initiative in northcentral PA and currently serves as TU's Director of Abandoned Mine Programs for abandoned coal mine drainage cleanup programs in Appalachia . In 2004 Amy expanded TU's successful remediation efforts on abandoned mine drainage in the Kettle Creek watershed to a challenging regional cleanup initiative, the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative. While her main focus right now is directing the West Branch initiative, she continues to dedicate an abundance of time working toward the recovery of the lower Kettle Creek watershed from past coal mining activities. Amy earned her B.S. in Environmental Biology and Ecology from Lock Haven University. Work and play are sometimes indistinguishable for Amy as most of her spare time is spent exploring the great outdoors with her husband and daughter.

Aaron Furgiuele is the Field Technician for Trout Unlimited's West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative. Aaron has a B.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering from Penn State University. Prior to joining TU, he worked on watershed projects for the Clearfield County Conservation District, where the upper reach of the West Branch and its tributaries encounter extensive abandoned mine impacts. In the summer of 2008 Aaron worked as an intern with Trout Unlimited on a variety of abandoned mine projects. Aaron is currently conducting his work based out of Clearfield County, in the heart of Pennsylvania's bituminous coal country.

Damon Hearne is the project coordinator for the Southeast Land Protection Program.  Working with land trusts and TU chapters, Damon helps protect and restore watersheds and streams within the eastern brook trout range in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.  Damon comes to TU with both a passion for the Appalachians and their wildlife and experience in land preservation and land trust issues.  He received his B.A. in biology from Earlham College and his M.S. in resource ecology and management from the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources.  Damon lives with his wife Megan and daughter Julianna in Asheville, North Carolina.